UPDATE – the case of Charlie and Sharni has now been reviewed by Frankston City Council.

City officials have decided that despite the enormous community backlash, and their original effort to kill the dogs being rejected by the Supreme Court, that the City is still going to proceed with the murder of Charlie and Sharni.

The family of these dogs is understandably distraught. They have fought a tough fight for their pets, investing thousands of dollars in trying to save their lives. Unfortunately, in this instance the law is an ass and the Frankston City Council is without heart or mercy.

Our thoughts are with Shannon and her family at this terrible time.

Reprint article: first published in March 2014

In early November last year, Shannon’s two family dogs Charlie and Sharni escaped their yard and despite frantic efforts to find them, got themselves into big trouble.

They killed a cat owned by someone in the neighbourhood. The dogs were impounded by Frankston Council and held at the Lost Dogs Home.

Knowing that her dogs weren’t mean – Charlie was adopted from Animal Aid, and both dogs lived with kids, cats and other pets – and that the family had lived at her property for more than four years without incident, Shannon believed that she and her dogs would be treated fairly and reasonably.

Shannon did not contest the charges brought against her in court. She was prepared to be fined, and realised her dogs may be declared ‘dangerous’, even though they weren’t aggressive and had never been in trouble before. Shannon thought that as a pet lover with a history of caring for her pets without issue, if she was willing to pay the fines and invest in the appropriate care and containment for her dogs, she would be allowed to take them home after the last court date.

In short, she was willing to accept a reasonable penalty for her family’s mistake.

Fast forward to today and the case is still not resolved. The dogs are still impounded at the Lost Dogs Home, and the care and upkeep charges are now in excess of $6,000. With two small children, Shannon has been forced to get a second job to try and begin to cover these expenses. In addition the family have had to pay for a laywer, barrister and had fines from the court.

For four months these dogs have been held with only one visit to from their family. In what seems like a deliberate effort to maximize their distress, the dogs are not being held side by side, but separately from each other.

The family has built an escape proof enclosure. They have had the dogs assessed by an extremely experienced veterinary behaviourist, who deemed them to be safe around humans and other dogs. They have hired a lawyer and barrister to try and fight the directive. All in an effort to save their dog’s lives.

Still, this week, the Council has declared it will be killing the dogs.

Rather than walk away from her pets, Shannon has made herself and her family broke trying to save them.

Rather than show Shannon and her family compassion, Frankston Council will kill Charlie and Sharni.

Killing a dog for killing a cat, seems an extraordinarily harsh penalty when the owner is compliant and willing to ensure that the animal is not given the opportunity to make another mistake.

To kill two dogs for the death of a cat when both dogs have been assessed as not dangerous, seems like genuinely excessive action from council.

No one denies what these dogs did was incredibly shitty – but is kill-punishing them really the most appropriate way for us to react? I personally hope Council will review this decision and see that there is no benefit in causing further devastation by ending the lives of this family’s pets.

Councillor Mike Hudson from Unley Council (SA) is pushing for mandatory cat registration and two-cat per household limits to be introduced in the city, to bring the district into line with its neighbour Mitcham.

Now, Mitcham Council is a ‘funny’ demonstration of success. For starters, their Cat Management Officer didn’t know their impound stats until I chased him to get them (they impound with the local RSPCA). The reason he didn’t know is because intakes isn’t the metric they’re using to judge ‘success’ – instead the laws are about increasing council’s capacity to deal with strays. And obviously keep council workers in a job.

The City of Unley doesn’t really have a cat ‘problem’, with “only five feral cat complaints in the past nine months”, however it doesn’t stop Cr Hudson wanting to demonize them as much as possible, blaming them for – wait for it – road traffic accidents;

“There are far too many cats in some houses. It’s smelly, noisy and can be dangerous if you end up swerving across the road to avoid them.”

* * * * *

As reported by the Pound Reform Alliance of Australia, in 2008 a $1.3 million purpose-built Regional Animal Pound designed to “help increase adoption rates and improve animal welfare” was constructed for the Shire in Echuca (VIC). It was subsequently leased to the Lost Dogs’ Home.

As more and more communities lose faith in the capabilities of the major charity pound providers to act in a compassionate and effective fashion, and the refusal of these same provides to evolve and begin to reflect the needs of the community – so the push to bypass them has begun. A major city embracing No Kill is a real game changer for the state of Victoria and we will continue to watch with interest.

* * * * *

From WA – in a state of 2 million people, just 8 have been issued fines for an unregistered cat, under WA’s new cat laws. This, and an unprecedented level of impoundment and killing, is set to lead to cat management SUCCESS according to cat welfare groups in the state.

Certainly – they admit – it won’t happen overnight, but if we just invest hard and kill enough cats, it WILL happen… #deadcats

* * * * *

Walking not running. A well run shelter will kill less than 10% of its animal intakes. Really effective shelters see their kill rates drop under 5%, as low as 2%.

Justice for Max has done the sums. In a wealthy, pet loving nation like ours, and when the RSPCA is given more than $100 million dollars a year to operate, these kill rates are simply unacceptable.

This will not change until the community rejects killing as an appropriate method of managing companion animals. Until all major shelters get out of the business of efficiently killing animals on behalf of local councils, and instead embrace and adopt No Kill programs and services.

* * * * *

The RSPCA NSW is dropping the Dubbo pound, with the tender due to expire on June 30.

Why would a charity mega-pound provider start dropping regional pound locations? Several reasons. The $330,000-a-year contract is peanuts to an organisation with a $50 million cash and investment portfolio of surplus donations, and running the pound looks less appealing when pets have to actually be saved, rather than dumped into incinerators.

By dropping the pound service tender, the RSPCA can still collect the very best of the animals, leave the rest for Council to deal with and voila! Lovely clean animal ‘save rates’ and a bit less bad PR for all the killing;

RSPCA animal care services executive manager Brendon Neilly said the new phase was part of being efficient and looking at how it could best serve the local community with the resources it had.

“We will be focusing on our work with our branch and (pet shop) Petbarn, which is re-homing animals for us, so we can continue to support animal welfare in Dubbo without running the pound services for the council,” he said.

The new model will involve the recruitment of a mobile officer who will help with animal transfers and works with the local branch and Petbarn.

It really is an extremely smart move, as a method for the brand to rebuff the negative PR over it’s kill rate, the RSPCA NSW has been receiving in the last few years. Keeping the true kill rate away from little-old-lady-bequestors has become the new ‘fundraising’.

* * * * *

Who will run Hervey Bay’s new $500,000 pound? The Fraser Coast Regional Council (QLD) has now finished the 24 new pound and 24 refuge kennels, plus cattery.

(Please let me know in the comments if you know any further detail, as the last announcement was in October last year).

* * * * *

Yarra Ranges (VIC) Mayor Fiona McAllister says a “common sense approach” will be taken by council officers in enforcing the 24-hour cat curfew, saying Council staff won’t be doing as “moggy patrols”. Which is code for… ‘we’re going to arm the public with cat traps and just let ’em go for it’.

I’m sure the City’s cat owners are greatly reassured knowing a cat-hating neighbour will be doing council’s animal management work for them.

“The first few days, every day we went in we were surprised to find him alive. Being shot in the head twice is usually enough to kill any dog, so the fact he survived and hasn’t any significant injuries is amazing.”

Bob had lost the use of his right eye and likely deaf due his injuries, but despite his ordeal he was still a charismatic guy;

“Bob has become a staff favourite and somewhat of a mascot at the RSPCA,” (RSPCA WA spokesman Tim Mayne) said.

“He is a very friendly dog and wags his tail whenever he is approached. He is a real testament to the will power and amazing survival instincts of animals.

Bob the dog at the 2012 Million Paws Walk on the South Perth foreshore.

A few weeks ago he could barely stand, but this weekend, Bob the dog, will be putting his best paws forward.
…
“The RSPCA would like to thank everyone who rang in and the kind offers of support. We have a long list of people to go through and we are hoping to find Bob a home soon.”

The very difficult decision to euthanase Bob on humane grounds was made following extensive consultation with veterinary specialists. Bob was sent for a CT scan which showed, what was described as, “catastrophic damage” to his head.

Unfortunately Bob’s condition deteriorated and he developed secondary medical complications from not only to the original gunshot injuries, but also the multiple gunshot fragments that were embedded deep in his skull, frontal sinus and surrounding tissues.
…
Bob will be remembered with a memorial stone at our Malaga site.

There is no memorial for Bob. He was used for media and fundraising, but no stone was ever laid for him. Two years on his story has largely been forgotten – just another dog who survived his abuse, only to have his life taken by the RSPCA.

Monash council has spent almost $100,000 on several court challenges over a single dog, which it declared a pit bull in 2012.

The laws are ”a dog’s breakfast”, said Monash mayor Geoff Lake. ”These laws are clumsy, unscientific and subjective. It’s unsatisfactory from a council point of view, dog owners are being denied fundamental justice and fairness and it leaves the community exposed because it’s not working.”

In Cardinia, ratepayers last year forked out $80,000 to defend a challenge regarding an alleged American pit bull terrier, which was later returned to its owner.

The Lost Dogs Home is believed to have contracts with about 20 Victorian councils to house seized dogs, while the RSPCA has 18 contracts.

Councils pay from $17 to $30 a day for each dog, plus an additional fee if it is destroyed. Some are on death row for months as owners appeal, costing thousands of dollars in pound fees. Many councils ban owners from visiting the pets.

Figures obtained by The Age reveal dozens of dogs are being destroyed under the laws with little effect on dog-attack numbers.

In Hume, with suburbs including Broadmeadows and Craigieburn, 48 restricted breed dogs have been euthanised since 2011.

Despite these measures, dog attacks (on people and other animals) in Hume have crept up from 141 in 2011 to 148 in 2013. And ratepayers have funded costs over $135,000 to defend 10 challenges, with four more pending.

Cardinia shire, which includes Packenham and Emerald, prosecuted 28 dog attacks in 2012-13, up from 12 in 2010-11.

Monash has euthanised 10 restricted breed dogs and registered another 12. The council handled 70 dog attacks in 2011 and 68 in 2013.

Of the nine councils contacted, seven had similar or higher numbers of dog attacks since 2011, while two had fewer attacks. Brimbank, which includes St Albans, Keilor and Sunshine, had the biggest drop, from 111 attacks in 2011 to 86 in 2013. It has destroyed 19 restricted breed dogs and registered another 36.

As the Victorian legislation becomes understandably unpopular, The Lost Dog Home continues to betray the dogs – and makes the cowardly move of side-stepping responsibility for championing the original laws – by declaring that the organisations policies are now ‘under review’. Seems not enough innocent dogs have been slaughtered yet, according to Dr Smith.

Being expensive and ineffective is obviously not the most devastating effect of these laws, but the unnecessary killing of people’s family members. While animal welfare groups talk about ‘dozens’, the reality is that number is just the declared/seized animals. Thousands of dogs are losing their lives across the state – friendly dogs impounded, but thanks the laws, are unable to be rehomed. In every way, the situation is a tragedy;

”These laws are clumsy, unscientific and subjective,” says Monash’s Geoff Lake. ”It’s unsatisfactory from a council point of view. Dog owners are being denied fundamental justice and fairness and it leaves the community exposed because it’s not working.”

If you ever needed evidence of the bias of the media in Australia against pit bulls, then this is it.

While the ‘Studio Ten’ introductory piece on the details of dog attacks in Australia seemed to have been well-researched, unfortunately from there, the show began to circle the drain.

The show’s panel was outrageous in their unshakable position the ‘pit bull’ ‘breed’ was the problem. Even as the guests gave their expert opinions (which, after all, is why you get experts in!) on how we could be working to make the community safer, the show’s panel regurgitated disproven clichés and fear-based superstition.

All the while, two dogs who had found themselves caught up in these ridiculous laws lay quietly on the floor, posing absolutely no threat to anyone.

The fact the two case studies used the show used as a demonstration for ‘pit bulls’ being dangerous, were actually attributed to other dog ‘breeds’, seemed to be entirely and tragically ironic. Meanwhile the RSPCA-generated hysteria lives on, with ol’Hugh’s venom being spewed and no RSPCA rep appearing to dispute it.

That five people who have five lifetimes worth of knowledge on dog behaviour, were dismissed completely by four people who talk on television for a living, is really at the crux of why we get such bad, ineffective and dangerous laws in Australia.

On the 15th September 2004, a small, pale yellow dog was found stumbling along a road in Ramsgate, a southern suburb of Sydney.

He weighed a tiny 8 kgs. On his starving frame, sunken skin dipped around his protruding hip and rib bones. He hobbled because of painful joints, and because of his damaged feet. And most horrifyingly, someone had attempted a brutal ‘home sewing job’ on the ulcers that covered on his body.

Witnesses say he was thrown from a car. Yet, despite his terrible injuries, this battered little dog still could manage to thank his rescuers, with a wag of his tail…

The RSPCA Inspectorate is urgently seeking witnesses who may help locate the person or people responsible. RSPCA Acting Chief Inspector David O’Shannessy said in addition to being painfully thin, the dog’s face is battered and bleeding with scabs and scars.

“And yet he can still manage to wag his tail,” he said.

“This case is horrific. We are appalled that someone could keep this poor dog in this condition and then abandon him so cruelly.

Despite being at least a year old, the dog is the size of a three or four month old pup. RSPCA vets have found he is profoundly and chronically malnourished, resulting in abnormal stunted growth with painful bones and joints and bowed legs. His protruding bones have led to the ulcerated pressure sores over much of his body, indicating he’s been sleeping on a hard un-padded surface.
…
“Even with his stunted stature, the dog should still weigh a least 15kg most Pitbull cross
dogs weigh around 25kg.”

Acting Chief Inspector O’Shannessy said despite the dog’s ordeal and mistreatment, he is trusting and affectionate. He said the dog is unlikely to be a threat to people because of his small stature and apparent good nature.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the RSPCA….

The story of this little dog understandably enraged pet lovers across Australia. Dubbed ‘Clifford’ he made the national news, winning the hearts of hundreds people wanting to assist. That Clifford survived long enough to find safety was a miracle. And now, thanks to the RSPCA he was receiving maybe the first kindness of his short life.

But there was a dark cloud hanging over Clifford’s future. The RSPCA had identified him as a ‘pit bull’.

In response to the fatal mauling of a two year old by a dog identified as an ‘English Bull Terrier’ in 1991, the Australian Government introduced a ban on the importation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. At the time this ban was celebrated by the RSPCA, who had been pushing for the ban for more than a decade.

The RSPCA was often called to act as an expert spokesperson, in media discussions around ‘pit bull’ dogs.

RSPCA Queensland manager Allen Callaghan said pit bulls were “natural born killers”, and that “the breed is a menace. Their bite literally crushes bone; their jaws are designed to lock on to prey and their molar teeth scissor back and forth to separate flesh from bone.”

RSPCA’s Queensland Operations Manager, Dr Cam Day said, “We don’t need these dogs. They just bowl in like a thunderclap with no warning. Other dogs will give some warning by… growling or barking. And if they bite they will grip and then let go. But when pit bull terriers bite they don’t let go. They only let go to take in more flesh.”

And that, “Pit bulls are the major concern because they are such powerful, aggressive and violent dogs. They are bred to be as tough and mean as they can be. There are safety precautions for ordinary dogs but a pit bull has that basic instinct that if it decides to attack it is going to be very, very difficult to dissuade. Once they latch on that is it.”

RSPCA NSW Executive Director David Butcher said, “There is no place for pit bulls in society. Anyone who imports them, owns one or breeds them is suspect. These dogs have huge crushing jaws. When they bite people, large amounts of tissue are removed. They bite and crunch and tear until a piece of the person comes out.”

RSPCA Victoria Executive Officer Richard Hunter said, “We have always said you should judge a dog on the deed and not the breed, but the exception to this is the pit bull terrier, which should be declared a dangerous dog because of its breed. It’s specifically bred for its aggression and fighting qualities and it is wrong to treat it as a family pet. “

While RSPCA National President Dr Hugh Wirth, was the most vocal ‘pit bull’ hater of all…

“As long as the pitbull terrier is not switched on to its natural fighting mode then it’s a nice dog. The trouble is it can instantly change.”
(ref)

“… why would any Australian want to own a dog that’s only attribute is that it’s a fantastic killer of dogs.”
(ref)

“They are a wretched breed. They were bred to fight. They have no redeeming feature.”
(ref)

The organisation was at the forefront of expanding and developing Breed Specific Legislation in every state. And thanks to their efforts whipping up anti-pitbull hysteria, by the end of the nineties, most states had some kind of breed-specific restriction in their dog laws.

Clifford was now well and truly a pet-celebrity. So popular was he, that in October a special page was created on the RSPCA NSW website, to keep his many fans updated of his progress (highlighting mine);

Clifford (known affectionately as ‘Cliffy’) has the support of many kind well-wishers who are following his progress after he was dumped from a vehicle onto a roadway at Ramsgate on September 15. He was thin, starving and covered in ulcers, some of which had been crudely hand stitched in a botched-up home sewing job – a cruel and extremely painful exercise.

To those well-wishers, we say a very big ‘thank you’. And we particularly thank all those kind and caring people who have taken the time to help with a donation towards Clifford’s veterinary costs. We appreciate all the many ways people show they care.

Because of his treatment, ‘Cliffy’ will never grow to his full potential, but we are pleased to report that his weight has now increased from 7.8 kg to 8.8kg and his wounds are starting to heal, although the deep pressure ulcers will obviously take some time to mend. He is enjoying interaction with staff and is undergoing rehabilitation to help heal some of his emotional scars.

Clifford shows his joy and appreciation to every caring person he meets. He is very much loved by RSPCA staff and enjoys spending time in the Inspectorate office. He was even ‘blessed’ at this week’s Blessing of the Animals Ceremony at the shelter. We give thanks for the ways that animals like Clifford enrich our lives here at the RSPCA.…
If you can help with any additional information relating to Clifford’s abandonment please contact the RSPCA on <phone>. All support is very much appreciated.

Clifford seemed to be well on the road to recovery. Animal advocates in the community held their collective breaths – was the RSPCA going to save Clifford?

With the ‘pit bull’ witchhunt in full force, and with the National President Hugh Wirth one the most vocal anti-pit bull advocates of them all, the RSPCA’s position paper on restricted breeds (2003 – 2007) could not have been more clear.

RSPCA policy does not normally discriminate on the basis of breed, however in the case of these four particular breeds (Japanese Tosa, Fila Brasiliero, Dogo Argentina and American Pit Bull Terrier), the RSPCA considers an approach consistent with the Australian Customs Service (import prohibition) is appropriate.

The RSPCA believes these four particular breeds of dog are not suited to being kept as pets.

The RSPCA does not believe it is in the interests of welfare of these dogs or of other animals and people in the community, which they continue to be kept as pets.

The reason?

The RSPCA does not believe it is in the interests of the welfare of these four particular breeds of dog to keep them in an environment they are not suited to – and we do not believe they are suited to being kept as pets.

Clifford’s star continued to shine, now described as “one of Australia’s most loved canines”.

By the end of October – nearly two months after he was found – he had attracted his own celebrity ambassador, Imogen Bailey, who had offered him a home.

A neglected dog who was thrown from a car last month has become one of Australia’s most loved canines.

More than 200 people, including a Qantas flight crew, have phoned the RSPCA’s Yagoona shelter to either offer their homes or assistance since Clifford the cross-breed arrived, horribly malnourished and ulcerated, in mid-September. “There has been massive support for this victim of cruelty,” RSPCA spokeswoman Claire Munro said.

“It goes to show that most people are decent and compassionate and the RSPCA appreciates every kind word and show of support.” Among Clifford’s many sympathisers is celebrity model Imogen Bailey.

The model visited the one-year-old dog for the second time last week after he was abandoned near her home in Sydney’s south. Ms Bailey, an animal activist for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), is hopeful Clifford will become her third dog once he is fully recovered.

“It’s pretty unbelievable to think this dog has been through so much and he is still kind-natured,” she said.

Police are appealing for information about Clifford’s mistreatment.

Despite Imogen’s hopes, or maybe even what she had been led to believe, RSPCA branches were expressly forbidden to rehome ‘pit bull’ dogs. And Clifford was one high profile pit bull.

The policy would be in place until well into 2007.

Clifford would be kept in the kennels at Yagoona, for four months, before the RSPCA released the following statement;

The RSPCA announced today (31 January 2005) that an expert veterinary and shelter team has had to make the extremely sad and difficult decision to humanely euthanase a severely abused dog, for the safety of animals and people.

RSPCA Chief Executive Officer Bernie Murphy said ‘Clifford’ who was emaciated and covered in ulcers when he thrown from a vehicle onto a roadway at Ramsgate last September, had displayed increasingly aggressive behaviour to staff, despite four and a half months of intensive rehabilitation and training at the RSPCA’s Yagoona shelter.

Clifford was euthanased in the company of caring staff, following the third and most serious unprovoked attack on a senior animal attendant on Friday.

“Clifford deserved every opportunity to live a normal life and our RSPCA teams have done everything possible to give him that chance,” he said. “However after great consideration, including the involvement of a veterinary behaviour consultant, the only choice was to humanely euthanase him for the safety of people, other animals and for the sake of Clifford’s future welfare.

“His only future was confinement for the rest of his days and that would have been extremely unfair on him. It was a heartbreaking decision for everyone involved.”

Mr Murphy said experts agree that the abuse Clifford suffered in his early life ultimately led to his unpredictable and increasingly erratic behaviour. When he was abandoned onto the roadway, Clifford was painfully thin and weighed only 7.5 kg, with protruding hip bones and ribs. The pads of his feet were torn and some of the ulcers on his body had been crudely hand-stitched in a home sewing job. Facial scars also suggested he may have been used as ‘practice’ for organised dog fighting.

“Clifford was much loved by our staff, but as his strength, weight, health and confidence improved, so did the incidences of attacks,” he said. “Despite his erratic behaviour however, the past four months at the RSPCA shelter would have been, by far, the happiest of Clifford’s life.

“He will be sadly missed, but ultimately his early experiences were just too much for him to overcome.”…

This tiny dog had gone from kissing the face of a celebrity, to unrehomable mess in just a few months of RSPCA ‘care’.

A cynic would say despite becoming a poster boy for second chances and earning enormous community support, once he was no longer valuable for fundraising and publicity, became well, and the public forgot about him, he was assessed as ‘unsaveable’ and killed.

Or maybe, as they said, when he was feeling stronger and after months of being kennelled, he went from loveable to unpredictable. Maybe these new behaviours were completely untreatable. But knowing that he would never be able to be placed, would have almost certainly ‘helped’ with the decision to write him off. He was, according to the RSPCA, a pit bull. They had spent so many years invested in demonising the breed, they were not going to suddenly change their position.

The most danger Clifford faced wasn’t from the owner who neglected and hurt him. Not even from the thug who threw him out of the car. The biggest risk to Clifford’s life – was entering the care of an animal welfare charity which intended all along to kill him.

But why care about Clifford now?

On the tenth anniversary of his death?

Because the terrible truth is, very little has changed.

‘Pit bulls’ are still being killed in RSPCA shelters.

‘Pit bull type’ dogs aren’t released for adoption.

In every state, the RSPCA still accept the pound contracts to seize and hold dogs under breed-specific laws.

The visual assessment is often applied by an RSPCA staff member.

And the RSPCA accept the role of being paid to kill each and every dog, even though as a private charity they have no obligation to.

Except now, they do it all under the same BSL legislation they helped design, and pressured state governments to pass…

… while at the same time absolving themselves of any responsibility by maintaining they have no choice. That they are bound by the law.

A dog kennel is about 2m x 1.5m, or 3 metres squared. For the piece a land about the size of an average family loo, the RSPCA is raking in cash for holding death row dogs. Many are not permitted to be walked or socialised while they’re held without hope for months, and years on end.

The RSPCA still make millions each year, from the business of killing ‘pit bull’ type dogs.

Sure, their position statement may have changed in alignment with current research showing breed specific laws fail to prevent or reduce dog attacks or in protect the public from dangerous dogs. But they have generated so much hysteria, done so much irreversible damage to the reputation of these dogs, that we have some of the most regressive, least effective and most brutal dog legislation in the world.

The RSPCA loudly, and undeservedly destroyed thousands, if not millions of pets with its stigmatisation of these animals. And while they have been incredibly active in generating and causing enormous problems with bad laws targeting breeds, the RSPCA aren’t so forthcoming with an active campaign to stand up for protecting people’s pets. A concerted effort to undo the damage that has been done to the reputation of bull breed – largely by their own organisation.

—————-

Little Clifford was just one dog that was quickly erased from the RSPCA history books. His life was not memorialised. He was collateral damage in the RSPCA war against pit bull dogs. The RSPCA was a major player in developing the intractable and callous animal welfare system we’re living with today. And many, many innocent dogs like Clifford have lost their lives because of it.

After an enormous hoo-ha, including an “unprecedented” number of comments on the Brisbane City Council Facebook page and multiple articles in major newspapers – not to mention a staggering fight from his owner and animal advocacy groups – the little red dog, Zeus, is free after 203 days impoundment at the Lost Dogs Home.

However, Brisbane City Council didn’t relinquish Zeus without before using a series of asinine stalling techniques to jack around the people trying to move this innocent dog to a BSL-free state. While the Lost Dogs Home revealed what an utterly heartless abomination they are, by charging the owner the full impound fee of more than $5,000 to collect her dog, who had done absolutely nothing wrong.

Eat crow every Brisbane bureaucrat involved in this murderous circus.

Zeus’ story made it all the way to the UK. How embarrassing to have an ‘animal welfare’ organisation, The Lost Dogs Home, being paraded on the world stage as being supporters of unscientific, absurd and murderous BSL laws.

Nice work The Lost Dogs’ Home – your disgrace is now international!

I’m sorry we put you through this Zeus. I’m glad you’ve escaped with your life, but I’m sorry that you’ve had to live through this trauma, and that you cannot return and live out your days in peace with your family. We will look back on these dark days with contempt, and you will be remembered as a beacon of hope and goodness in a climate of ignorance. Your story has made a difference.

]]>The terrible, awful, heartbreaking story of Zeushttp://archive.savingpets.com.au/2014/01/the-terrible-awful-heartbreaking-story-of-zeus/
http://archive.savingpets.com.au/2014/01/the-terrible-awful-heartbreaking-story-of-zeus/#commentsSat, 18 Jan 2014 02:25:18 +0000http://www.savingpets.com.au/?p=24831One of the criticisms thrown at people who find themselves affected by Breed Specific Legislation (BSL), is ‘why get a pit bull dog if you weren’t looking for trouble?’ Only bad people, the thinking goes – would ever own one of ‘these’ dogs.

In stark contrast to this platitude, last February Jennifer and her family did exactly what we ask people to do – they adopted a family pet from an animal shelter.

They visited the Lost Dogs Home Brisbane and chose a pup named Zeus.

Zeus lived with his new family, registered with the city as the same breed he was adopted as – a Labrador/Staffy cross.

Seven months later, he escaped his yard with the family’s other dog Aliyah. She returned, but he did not. After a week Zeus appeared on the Brisbane City Council lost pets pages as being back at the Lost Dogs Home.

Jennifer tried to reclaim Zeus, but was told that now he was grown, Council believed he met the criteria for a restricted breed dog. Zeus would be killed for being a ‘pit bull’;

“I found myself face to face with their manager pleading with them to let him come home as only the past February we had taken him home as a puppy from the same shelter. But they dismissed me and their mistake, and pursued him as a ‘pit bull type’ dog now that he had grown up.”

A destruction order was issued, but Jennifer was given the right to an appeal. She did – but remarkabky lost the case.

Determined not to abandon her pet, and with the assistance of the Barristers Animal Welfare Panel, a second appeal was lodged. The case has now been adjourned, and Zeus is able to be released. But he can’t go home – he must be moved out of the city.

A rescued pup and his young family have been thrown into months of turmoil – and he has lost his home – not because Zeus is a problem dog, or an aggressive dog. But because someone in a pound felt Zeus didn’t look like a restricted breed – and someone else in a pound, on a different day, felt that he did.

The system of visually identifying dog’s breeds is just that faulty.

Arrangements are being made to secure Zeus’ release. There is the matter of the $3,000 bill for impoundment charges – yup, the family is being charged for every day the council incarcerate their dog. And coordination for a rescue group to take Zeus is underway. He’s back to looking for a home, even though he has a family who loves him.

BSL destroys families. It doesn’t discern between ‘dog fighters’ or ‘thugs’ and the nice people and nice dogs. And in this case, it has even a targeted a rescue pup and his loving family.

]]>http://archive.savingpets.com.au/2014/01/the-terrible-awful-heartbreaking-story-of-zeus/feed/52Bill Bruce discusses the Calgary Modelhttp://archive.savingpets.com.au/2014/01/bill-bruce-discusses-the-calgary-model/
Wed, 15 Jan 2014 02:29:35 +0000http://www.savingpets.com.au/?p=24817In case you weren’t able to attend, you can now watch the Bill Bruce lecture series on the Calgary model.